Everything you need to know about partner management systems in communications

By: Cesilia Faustina & Lotfi Alsarori

We are at a time where telecom companies rule all, which means incredible dependency towards the industry. It also means greater demands and expectations from the telecom sector. The rise of COVID-19 sure is not making this easier either. Network usage have gone through the roof, with many telecom companies reporting large spikes and increase in volume voice calls in 2020. These rapid changes could only mean more developments and customer interests. This is no surprise though, what is a surprise is how to handle these overwhelming expectations? 

The many handy applications of Web Portals, Part V: Telecom

By: Lotfi Alsarori

Continuing in our discussions of the value of web portals in different industries, in this article we look at the telecom sector. We have seen web portals in the enterprise, education, healthcare, insurance, and in a previous article on e-banking. The telecom sector is no exception to the utilization of this great tool. There are several applications of using web portals in the communications industry, but we will focus on the two most common areas which are customer self-service and partners portal.

Before going into the details of common web portals used in the communications industry, let’s first define the scope of this rapidly changing industry. The communications industry was previously composed of an ecosystem revolving around telecom operators. However, today the communications industry is made up of a diverse collection of what are called communication service providers, or CSPs. These are service providers that transport information electronically. They offer services ranging from telecom, information, media, content, entertainment, and application services over voice and data networks. They include, for example, telecom operators and Internet service providers (ISPs), as well as companies offering content, cable, or Cloud application services. 

How effective system collaboration can improve your collection process

 By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

After spending a lot of effort planning the perfect product catalog, marketing it, and then selling it, it is now time to collect on your customers’ dues. Typically, the collection process begins with classifying customers and assuring their awareness of their dues through notification. Following that, they would be sent automated or manual reminders to persuade them to pay within the timeframe.

Ideally, the customer would receive a notification about their bill and proceed to pay within the given timeframe. Unfortunately, however, this is not always the case, and this is when the collection lifecycle can easily start to get quite cumbersome.

The underestimated power of telecom mediation

 By: Cesilia Faustina

Everybody who works in telecom knows the importance of a mediation system. It works as a powerful gateway for the backend of telecom service providers, in fact, without it, the whole telecom process would fall apart. Telecom mediation platforms act as the backbone of a telecom company, it ensures that all data gets transferred to its required function, be it for billing, customer care, fraud management, interconnect, roaming, and more.

The dependency towards mediation, however, does not seem to share the same spotlight as other telecom systems out there. With the array of systems available to support communication service providers (CSPs), it’s easy for mediation to drown under all the systems. Systems like billing, charging, and customer management would tend to be in the spotlight when it comes to telecom these days, causing people to forget one of the most important systems there is, mediation.

The evolution of the Customer Insight management system

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

The term “customer insight” has been trending widely in recent years as other terms such as “data analytics” rose to fame. As such, the idea of gaining deep customer insight originated (or evolved) as a result of years of experimenting with ways to better understand customers’ trends and needs. What emerged is the ability to get a 360-degree view of your customers’ behaviours through the strategic analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.

But how did this evolution come about? Let’s discuss this in some detail.

How to simplify the organization of roaming partners?

 By: Cesilia Faustina

The global roaming market is going through increasing developments; with more businesses and people generally depending on online activities, telecom providers are becoming more pressured to be able to fulfil the needs of the market. With more people depending on telecom companies to provide to people’s everyday needs, many communication service providers are stepping up and implementing technology into their roaming management. Before we get to that though, let us have a better understanding of what roaming management is.

Mobile roaming can be defined as a functionality by telecom providers to allow customers of one network to use the network of another operator (visiting network), that way, customers can still make and receive phone calls, as well as exchange data while travelling. These so-called visiting networks can be called roaming partners. Roaming management in the telecom world is essentially the process of organizing a CSP’s roaming partners and the roaming operation.

4 steps to make the most out of your customers’ feedback

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

In today’s world, what happens after your customers buy and use your products and services is more critical than selling them the product itself. The idea of listening attentively to your customers’ thoughts, expectations, and aversions, you will be collecting a very valuable source of feedback that you can use in further improving the quality of your products and services. Moreover, your customers’ feedback also helps learn how to better serve them and ensure their maximum satisfaction.

With that in mind, this article is going to discuss 4 main steps to help you make the most out of the feedback you receive from your customers. They are as follows.

Why a partner management software is made to revolutionize the telecom industry

 By: Cesilia Faustina

The thing about the telecom sector is, it’s constantly evolving. As technology is constantly developing, and so does everything else related to it. As we enter 2020, and with the year of COVID-19, technology is under more pressures to expand, and in the midst of all the disarray are telecom providers. Our dependency on smartphones and the Internet is fuelling greater dependency for the telecom sector. 

This dependency can be seen, for example, in the great rise of video streaming. This year, it has become even more of a big deal. In fact, according to Deloitte’s recent Digital Media Trends survey, respondents indicated they at least had one streaming video subscription (69 percent). With greater use of smart TVs and Internet, TV networks are depending on online subscriptions, thus creating a whole new competition in the market. And this is where telecom companies come in, greater dependency towards online media is creating an expanding sector for the telecom industry to tap into.

Top 5 crucial points you should know about interconnect billing systems

 By: Cesilia Faustina

Interconnect billing is becoming more complex with the advancements of carriers, pricing structures and increase of traffic. It is more crucial than ever for communication service providers to ensure accuracy and efficiency of their interconnect arrangements. Effective interconnect arrangements have become key to the operations of an increasingly wide range of services. 

Thanks to the increasing number of operators throughout the decade, we are also seeing more interconnect occurring as well. This is driving the competition within the telecom sector and interconnection is now a critical factor for the viability of the telecom competition. It is for this reason that proper interconnection arrangements are needed, while inadequate interconnection arrangements will only cause additional cost, technical problems, as well as inconvenience for businesses and consumers.

How to take your customer engagement strategy one step further

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

Imagine the following scenario. You buy a product or service from a local CSP. You start using it and everything seems fine until one day you face a certain problem. So you open your email and write them a letter explaining your problem in detail. A few days pass and no response comes from them, so now you decide to follow up with them by phone, only to find out that the customer service representative has no idea about the email you sent a few days ago, so you have no choice but to explain your problem all over again.

This is a situation nearly all of us have been through, and we usually tend to blame it on the weakness or lack of proper administration, thus often causing us to dismiss this CSP as bad a not worthy of our money. But, why don’t we ask ourselves what exactly happened there?

6 major features to look for in a telecom product catalog management system

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

What is the first thing that catches your attention when you set down at a comfy table in a fancy restaurant? Is it the silky table cloth? That big beautiful chandelier in the middle of the dining hall? Perhaps. Yet despite the importance of these items and the beauty and prestige they bring to the place, there is something more essential than all of these things. It’s the menu. 

Naturally, the menu is the most vital element in any decent restaurant. Being the primary interface that presents the restaurant’s products to the customer, creating and perfecting the menu is an essential process. It needs to be consistent and appealing so that it intrigues customers’ appetite.